S.I.U. - The Sailor Investigation Unit
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME (Mark A Page)
Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon are owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai and Kodansya. All
other characters were thought up by me. Well, its true, isn't it?
^_^
--------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been a while since she had seen her native Earth.
The young woman had traversed the tunnel between the two
worlds, small as it was, and stepped out into a world that, only
days ago, was rapidly degenerating into a fantasy.
In her mind, anyway.
Now it was real, again. And wet. She found herself standing
atop a building in the centre of Tokyo city, being heavily rained
upon. It had been a long time since she'd seen the rain.
She didn't like it any more than she did when she left Earth.
Or was forced to leave, which was more the truth of the
situation. She could understand, now, why it had been so important
for those within the Sacred House to be rid of her. She was as mad
as hell at the time.
Oh well, nothing to be done. She was back on Earth with
complete control of her powers, ready to make a splash on the local
halfling scene.
She threw her hood over her head, and wrapped her cape around
her form, to protect herself from the rain, and stepped up to the
side of the roof, looking down upon the denizens of the city, below.
She'd have to find new, more socially acceptable clothing.
Black leather bondage gear with studs and fishnets may be haute
coiture in the other world, but here it only invited offers of cash
for work.
No problem. All she had to do was find out what was in
fashion, and she could remould her current gear to suit. Of course,
what was in fashion wasn't always that socially acceptable, either.
She giggled at the thought.
She wasn't all that surprised when she saw three women fly
past. Two clearly unconcious, and the third hysterical. Ah yes, it
was good to be back on Earth.
----o
Part Fourteen
The Slightest Sound
----o
Pagan was on the bottom of the channel, eating mud. He didn't
see what it was that had hit him. He didn't expect to. What he'd
hoped was that, being within the murky water of the wharf channel,
he'd be shielded from the view of whatever it was Sherrie had
become, and safe from the sonic blasts she was attacking him with.
Not so, it would seem.
Everything was pitch black. He didn't know how far down he'd
been thrown by the wave, but it was pretty damn deep. All he could
feel was sludge around him, and he couldn't even tell which way was
up.
He began to panic, thrashing about in the hope he'd find
water. This was ineffective, and only proceeded to stir things up,
making it likely that, if he did reach water, he wouldn't be able to
see where he was, anyway.
Stupid stupid stupid. How could he have let this happen? He
had only wanted to play with Sherrie.... Lead her on as he'd always
done. What had changed her, this time?
He knew what changed. She hadn't taken her medication, the
fool. Now it was likely that even the House would have to hunt her
down. In the form she was now in, it was unlikely they were going
to let her live.
It was certainly impossible for them to administer medication.
Especially when the subject in question had no physical form to
speak of.
Now he was probably going to die, stuck in the mud at the
bottom of a filthy shipping channel. Talk about being born under a
bad sign.
"God, you ARE stupid, you know that?" He could hear the voice
in his mind, but he couldn't place the owner.
"Who...?" He replied, suffocation slowly taking hold of what
little mental processing he had left.
Everything went dark.
----o
Hotaru stared up into the sky as the three figures flew by,
her jaw hanging with disbelief. She swore one of them was Ami.
She shook her head. It had to have been her imagination. She
continued on her way to the Hikawa Shrine.
----o
"She did WHAT?" Shimazaki stared at Kaji after the SIU
officer had explained to he, Katarin and Kurabuto what had happened
with Aoi, Ami and their mysterious kidnapper.
Kurabuto, the chief of Major Crime, stood in the background
of the office, shaking his head, as Watanabe Miki sat in a chair at
Katarin's desk, looking every bit as guilty as she felt. Shimazaki
turned on her.
"You stupid COW! That girl came to give evidence into the
murder of the Sailorsenshi, and you let Kiko-san just walk off with
her?"
"That's enough, Shimazaki!" Kurabuto stepped forward. "There
is no point chewing her out about it. What's done is done."
"But what are you doing to find them?" Kaji thumped
Shimazaki's desk. "I don't really understand the full story, but I
do know that this kidnapper may be a member of one of the groups
that is after the Sailorsenshi."
"On top of the SIU, you mean?" Katarin said, leaning against
the wall, arms crossed.
"The SIU is part of the police. We're charged with the job of
finding and identifying them, as well as keeping a tab on all their
activities."
"Ah yes, but it would seem certain members of the SIU are keen
on keeping the knowledge they have gained to themselves, in the hope
that they will look REALLY good when they wrap up their
investigations. Do I hear the word 'promotion' being bandied
about?" Katarin sneered.
"Easy for you to say." Kaji shot Katarin a contemptuous look.
"Well, it may come as a surprise to you, but we did know
something was up." Kurabuto sniffed as Kaji turned to him,
questioningly.
"What do you mean?"
"This morning, uniform had a call to a house in Juuban.
Apparently the place had been trashed, much like your own SIU
office. They gave us the name of the occupant. A Miss Kino Makoto.
It seems our dear Kiko-san was looking up records of Kino Makoto
earlier this morning. We put two and two together and decided she
knew a hell of a lot more than she was telling us, so I had Katarin
and Shimazaki follow her."
"Didn't do a very good job." Kaji snorted.
"No. No thanks to the office lady here." Shimazaki gestured
to Miki, who sank even deeper into her chair.
"That'll be enough of that." Kurabuto shot Shimazaki a look,
then turned back to Kaji. "Whatever the case, there have been
reports of three young women flying around all over town. We'll
find them, sooner or later."
Kurabuto's mobile phone rang, and he took it from his pocket,
answering it. "Kurabuto." He paused, listening, his face turning
grave. "I see. I'll be there immediately." He hung up, putting
the phone away.
"What is it?" Katarin looked at him.
"The heart crystal taken from the dead sailor.... It's
started to degenerate."
----o
Setsuna flashed into existence within a laneway between two
shops. She staggered for a moment, holding her forehead.
"Ow.... I'm getting too old for this kind of thing."
Composing herself, she stepped out into the main street, just
in time to see three figures float past in the sky. She watched
them with disbelief until they disappeared.
"Should have seen that coming." She mumbled to herself. She
was sure one of them had been Ami. Shaking her head, she continued
on her way....
----o
Usagi landed, face forward, on a carpeted floor. After a few
moments of recovery, she sat up and rubbed her chin, staring at her
new surroundings.
She was in an apartment, and a small one at that. It was
sparsely furnished, with nothing more than a lounge chair and a
small television within the room she was in. At one end of the room
were a pair of curtains, behind which were glass sliding doors which
lead out onto a balcony.
Lysithea was standing by the curtains, peering between them.
Usagi huffed, crossing her arms.
"Thankyou, Mister Gentleman, for helping me to my feet."
"You're welcome." Lysithea said without turning. Usagi's
cheeks puffed up with annoyance.
"Where are we?"
"An apartment in the Hakudusyo Towers which overlooks the
Sacred House HQ compound. It's one of the watch houses the Coven
has used over the years."
"Is that what you're looking at?" Usagi got to her feet.
"What else would I be looking at?" Lysithea turned. "Come
here, have a look."
Usagi sighed and stepped over to the crack in the curtain.
Lysithea pointed between them. "That's it. You can't miss it for
the world, considering its size."
Usagi peered out. On the other side of the road that ran past
the apartment building was a large, high-walled compound, within
which were a collection of buildings, mostly interconnected. There
were office towers and an odd assortment of architectural oddities.
She turned back to him. "I've been past this place before.
probably a dozen or so times. Never really thought about what was
within. Always thought it was some manufacturing firm or research
centre." She thought for a moment. "Wouldn't I, with my powers,
have been able to detect the nature of this place?"
"Don't see why you should break the habit of a lifetime and
miss the blatantly obvious." Lysithea chuckled as Usagi huffed.
"Alright, so we Sailorsenshi aren't perfect. I bet you didn't
spot the Black Moon Circus tent, either."
"Ah, the Black Moon Circus.... Have I told you, yet, about
the time I met Tiger Eye at a dance club?"
"I don't want to know." She snorted.
"But it was really funny...."
"I said I don't want to know." Sighing, she thumbed in the
direction of the compound. "So, what is it about this place that
stops you walking in by yourself, except for the mountains of
security the place is likely to have, and how in hell am I supposed
to help you?"
Lysithea stepped away from the curtain. "It's very simple.
They have a barrier around the compound, detectable only by those
who are halflings like me. This barrier is generated by a device
that emulates the biorhythms of my kind."
"A kind of spirit energy machine?"
"Kind of.... This device not only detects those with halfling
energies, it can also attack those who are not permitted to enter
its field."
Usagi began to pace around. "So, what you're saying is that,
this device is an artificial ghost.... A poltergeist...."
"Well, that would be simplifying it, but yes, you can call it
an artificial ghost."
"So where do I come in?"
"You aren't one of us. You're a fullblood human. Or, if you
aren't, your energies are being suppressed or masked. This was why
neither the Coven nor the House could detect your presence."
"And being a fullblood human means my energy pattern is
different?"
"Indeed."
"Which means this defence system won't recognise me as a
threat? Clever. That means any old person who isn't one of your
kind could walk in...."
"What do you think the conventional security devices are for?
And anyway, with the kinds of freaks they have in there, you
wouldn't last long, anyway."
Usagi facefaulted. "So how am I going to get you in?"
"I do believe you have something called 'Sailor Teleport'....
Something you've used, now and again."
"Ah, that.... I've.... Only used it once or twice, on my
own, that is. The rest of the time, I was aided by the others."
She paused for a moment. "I'm not really confident about using it."
"But, as you have said, you have used it, solo, on occasion."
"I didn't really think about it at the time. And anyways,
my... other personality had taken over at those stages...."
"Other personality?" Lysithea frowned, then ohhhed when he
picked up what she was saying. "You mean Serenity."
"Yeah, her."
"You mean you, of course?"
"Yeah, me." Usagi scratched her head. "I have times when I
wonder about the division between me and me."
"Between one personality and the other? I don't think you
should concern yourself about that. From my studies of you, I'd say
there really is no division."
"Yeah, but it's a pain, you know? Not knowing what to say or
think in case I have a violent disagreement with myself...." Usagi
paused. "Now I'm just being silly." She looked embarassed.
Lysithea shrugged. "Well, we'll just have to risk it. After
all, it is a case of life or death for you friend, Minako."
Usagi nodded. "For Mina-chan.... I shall go through hell."
Yes, thought Lysithea. You probably will.
----o
Minako dreamed of a store.
It was a small store, set in an arcade, opposite a snack bar,
and lined by a hair salon on one side and a bookshop on the other.
It was also empty.
There were nothing but boxes, full of miscellaneous items,
sitting in piles within the shop, gathering dust and hidden from the
public gaze by white lace curtains that hung over the large
shopfront windows. Those curtain allowed a splendid view of what
was going on outside, but the darkness within made them an
impenetrable veil to the casual viewer.
Minako dreamed she was sitting within that store, behind a
small box, up against the rear wall near the counter where the cash
register used to be. She was eight years old, and frightened.
This store used to belong to her father. In fact, it still
did, but his business, which had been founded here, had grown beyond
the floorspace this store could provide.
He had kept the shop as a storage space until he found a
reasonable offer for it. But he never did, and the store slowly
became a dust trap, ignored for years. Until the day young Aino
Minako came visiting.
She had been in trouble at school. Coming to the aid of a
quiet girl who was being victimised by a group of bullies. The only
thing the teacher who caught them had seen was Minako throttling one
of the larger boys, his friends cowering with bloody noses.
Her parents chewed her out for that, and sent her to her
bedroom as punishment. In a fit of pique, she decided to run away,
throwing what few posessions she had the time in a small bag, she
clambered out of her window (not easy to do from the first storey)
and took off for destinations unknown.
And they really were destinations unknown, because eight year
old Minako had absolutely NO idea where one could go to run away.
So she decided to hide out in the old store, having been given a key
to the place by her father when she first went to school. She would
often walk to the shop rather than straight home as it was safer to
go the rest of the way home with her father after work.
And she was in that store for three days, surviving on
chocolate bars, potato chips and orange juice, watching people walk
by, and wondering if running away was such a good idea, after all.
The shop was awfully cold at night. And the only person who
would walk by was the arcade's security guard.... A scary, burly,
unshaven man in his fourties.
She was glad when she finally decided to pack it in and go
home. So were her parents and the police. It was one less child
they had to worry about, turning up mutilated in a pile of garbage
bags....
Strange, Minako thought, I feel quite warm at the moment.
Surely the dream wasn't trawling up that sentimental a memory?
She opened her eyes, and saw a soft yellow light, cast through
a window that was set high above her. Very high.
She sat up and stared blearily around. The room, apart from
that light, was pitch black. In fact, it was the walls to the room,
itself, that were black.
The walls rose so high, she had to strain to see the ceiling.
At least it wasn't cold in here. She hated the cold, ever since....
Ever since she hid in that shop.... So many years ago.
She listened, carefully. She could hear the sound of air
conditioning. So soft, she shouldn't have been able to hear it, and
yet it was as clear as a bell to her.
It was then that she realised she had absolutely no idea where
she was. She threw off the large, thick blanket that had been
covering her and jumped off the single bed, dancing around for a few
moments as the floor was rather colder than she expected.
She looked down at what she was wearing. It looked like a
hospital gown to her. Now what had happened? Maybe she'd hurt
herself and was in hospital....
But this certainly didn't look like a hospital room, and she
certainly wasn't injured. The only discomfort she could feel was a
slightly numb sensation in her left arm. She inspected it, but the
light wasn't bright enough for her to be able to see if there was
anything wrong.
She stepped up to the wall and started to feel her way along.
She went all the way around, and couldn't feel anything that was
vaguely like a door. She began to panic, scratching at the wall for
some vague crack which could be opened. All this achieved were sore
fingers and cracked nails. One was even bleeding. She sucked on it
as she walked back to the bed and sat down.
"Ah, I see you are awake. Very good, very good." Minako
turned as the figure of a tall caucasian man with white hair and
white goatie beard, dressed in a dark suit and cape, stepped through
the wall.
"G.... GHOST!" Minako threw the blanket over her head as the
man closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. Just a little precautionary
security device."
Minako peered from underneath the blanket. "Security? From
what?" She thought for a few moments. "Not from me, surely?"
"Well, you could say that, in your current state, we aren't
taking any precautions."
"In my current state....? I'll have you know I'm as fit as a
creek without a paddle.... I mean.... Whatever. Who are you? And
where am I?"
"Ah, before I introduce myself, perhaps you would be so kind
as to tell me your name?"
Minako threw the blanket aside and stood from the bed. "Aino.
Aino Minako. And you?"
"My name is Joachim Schneider. I am a member of a group,
known as the Sacred House. We discovered you earlier today,
assaulting a group of your friends at a coffee shop."
"Oh Kami, this is a funny farm, right? I'm nuts, aren't I?"
Joachim blinked a couple of times in surprise, then chuckled,
shaking his head. "Whatever makes you think that?"
"I haven't been myself lately. I've been doing strange
things.... Thinking strange thoughts...."
Joachim nodded. "All very likely, considering the condition
you have."
"I knew it. I have a condition. I'm a psycho. I'll be
locked away in padded cells for the rest of my life, taking strange
drugs and being made to undergo bizarre treatments involving vast
quantities of electricity...." Minako began to pace around, pulling
at her hair.
"Now now, settle down. Nobody said you were mad."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. You are
probably going to give me the spiel about how this is not an
illness, and how it can be controlled and all that warm fuzzy crap."
She began to sob. Joachim put a hand to his face, sighing.
"Lord protect me from idiots." He put his hand down and
stepped forward. "Listen, you do NOT have a psychological
condition. All psychological effects you have experienced, and will
continue to experience are a product of a condition of an entirely
different form."
Minako turned to him. "Well, that makes it alright then."
She sniffed. "That doesn't explain what I'm doing here, or where
here is...."
"Well, this is our sanctuary. We study those who have
recently undergone this condition, and attempt to bring it under
control so they can be released back into society."
"Just what is this condition, anyway? Is it some kind of
genetic disorder?"
Joachim chuckled. "You could say that, in a way. It is most
certainly inherited. In which case, it might be a good idea if you
can give us the names of your parents and their address, just in
case."
"Umm... Okay. If you have a piece of paper so I can write it
down and all...."
Joachim raised an eyebrow. This one was going to be easier to
deal with than they had initially thought.
----o
There was nothing there.
She had dived into the waters, only to find her quarry had
vanished. Not just sank into the mud, but vanished altogether.
She was not pleased. But there were others she could take in
the vicinity.
She growled, hungrily.
----o
They had managed to avoid almost every obstacle in their way,
but eventually, they were going to HAVE to hit something, head on.
The young woman who had only just returned to Earth watched
from the top of yet another building as the three figures slammed
into the side of the old records office building at close to thirty
miles an hour, and fell fifteen feet to the ground, behind some
bushes.
Well, she thought, time to get to work. Help the local
wildlife on your way to setting an idiot sister to rights.
Mhaere Meehan snapped her fingers and vanished from sight.
END OF PART 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DDFA ayanami@internode.on.net
23rd Apr 1998
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME (Mark A Page)
Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon are owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai and Kodansya. All
other characters were thought up by me. Well, its true, isn't it?
^_^
--------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been a while since she had seen her native Earth.
The young woman had traversed the tunnel between the two
worlds, small as it was, and stepped out into a world that, only
days ago, was rapidly degenerating into a fantasy.
In her mind, anyway.
Now it was real, again. And wet. She found herself standing
atop a building in the centre of Tokyo city, being heavily rained
upon. It had been a long time since she'd seen the rain.
She didn't like it any more than she did when she left Earth.
Or was forced to leave, which was more the truth of the
situation. She could understand, now, why it had been so important
for those within the Sacred House to be rid of her. She was as mad
as hell at the time.
Oh well, nothing to be done. She was back on Earth with
complete control of her powers, ready to make a splash on the local
halfling scene.
She threw her hood over her head, and wrapped her cape around
her form, to protect herself from the rain, and stepped up to the
side of the roof, looking down upon the denizens of the city, below.
She'd have to find new, more socially acceptable clothing.
Black leather bondage gear with studs and fishnets may be haute
coiture in the other world, but here it only invited offers of cash
for work.
No problem. All she had to do was find out what was in
fashion, and she could remould her current gear to suit. Of course,
what was in fashion wasn't always that socially acceptable, either.
She giggled at the thought.
She wasn't all that surprised when she saw three women fly
past. Two clearly unconcious, and the third hysterical. Ah yes, it
was good to be back on Earth.
----o
Part Fourteen
The Slightest Sound
----o
Pagan was on the bottom of the channel, eating mud. He didn't
see what it was that had hit him. He didn't expect to. What he'd
hoped was that, being within the murky water of the wharf channel,
he'd be shielded from the view of whatever it was Sherrie had
become, and safe from the sonic blasts she was attacking him with.
Not so, it would seem.
Everything was pitch black. He didn't know how far down he'd
been thrown by the wave, but it was pretty damn deep. All he could
feel was sludge around him, and he couldn't even tell which way was
up.
He began to panic, thrashing about in the hope he'd find
water. This was ineffective, and only proceeded to stir things up,
making it likely that, if he did reach water, he wouldn't be able to
see where he was, anyway.
Stupid stupid stupid. How could he have let this happen? He
had only wanted to play with Sherrie.... Lead her on as he'd always
done. What had changed her, this time?
He knew what changed. She hadn't taken her medication, the
fool. Now it was likely that even the House would have to hunt her
down. In the form she was now in, it was unlikely they were going
to let her live.
It was certainly impossible for them to administer medication.
Especially when the subject in question had no physical form to
speak of.
Now he was probably going to die, stuck in the mud at the
bottom of a filthy shipping channel. Talk about being born under a
bad sign.
"God, you ARE stupid, you know that?" He could hear the voice
in his mind, but he couldn't place the owner.
"Who...?" He replied, suffocation slowly taking hold of what
little mental processing he had left.
Everything went dark.
----o
Hotaru stared up into the sky as the three figures flew by,
her jaw hanging with disbelief. She swore one of them was Ami.
She shook her head. It had to have been her imagination. She
continued on her way to the Hikawa Shrine.
----o
"She did WHAT?" Shimazaki stared at Kaji after the SIU
officer had explained to he, Katarin and Kurabuto what had happened
with Aoi, Ami and their mysterious kidnapper.
Kurabuto, the chief of Major Crime, stood in the background
of the office, shaking his head, as Watanabe Miki sat in a chair at
Katarin's desk, looking every bit as guilty as she felt. Shimazaki
turned on her.
"You stupid COW! That girl came to give evidence into the
murder of the Sailorsenshi, and you let Kiko-san just walk off with
her?"
"That's enough, Shimazaki!" Kurabuto stepped forward. "There
is no point chewing her out about it. What's done is done."
"But what are you doing to find them?" Kaji thumped
Shimazaki's desk. "I don't really understand the full story, but I
do know that this kidnapper may be a member of one of the groups
that is after the Sailorsenshi."
"On top of the SIU, you mean?" Katarin said, leaning against
the wall, arms crossed.
"The SIU is part of the police. We're charged with the job of
finding and identifying them, as well as keeping a tab on all their
activities."
"Ah yes, but it would seem certain members of the SIU are keen
on keeping the knowledge they have gained to themselves, in the hope
that they will look REALLY good when they wrap up their
investigations. Do I hear the word 'promotion' being bandied
about?" Katarin sneered.
"Easy for you to say." Kaji shot Katarin a contemptuous look.
"Well, it may come as a surprise to you, but we did know
something was up." Kurabuto sniffed as Kaji turned to him,
questioningly.
"What do you mean?"
"This morning, uniform had a call to a house in Juuban.
Apparently the place had been trashed, much like your own SIU
office. They gave us the name of the occupant. A Miss Kino Makoto.
It seems our dear Kiko-san was looking up records of Kino Makoto
earlier this morning. We put two and two together and decided she
knew a hell of a lot more than she was telling us, so I had Katarin
and Shimazaki follow her."
"Didn't do a very good job." Kaji snorted.
"No. No thanks to the office lady here." Shimazaki gestured
to Miki, who sank even deeper into her chair.
"That'll be enough of that." Kurabuto shot Shimazaki a look,
then turned back to Kaji. "Whatever the case, there have been
reports of three young women flying around all over town. We'll
find them, sooner or later."
Kurabuto's mobile phone rang, and he took it from his pocket,
answering it. "Kurabuto." He paused, listening, his face turning
grave. "I see. I'll be there immediately." He hung up, putting
the phone away.
"What is it?" Katarin looked at him.
"The heart crystal taken from the dead sailor.... It's
started to degenerate."
----o
Setsuna flashed into existence within a laneway between two
shops. She staggered for a moment, holding her forehead.
"Ow.... I'm getting too old for this kind of thing."
Composing herself, she stepped out into the main street, just
in time to see three figures float past in the sky. She watched
them with disbelief until they disappeared.
"Should have seen that coming." She mumbled to herself. She
was sure one of them had been Ami. Shaking her head, she continued
on her way....
----o
Usagi landed, face forward, on a carpeted floor. After a few
moments of recovery, she sat up and rubbed her chin, staring at her
new surroundings.
She was in an apartment, and a small one at that. It was
sparsely furnished, with nothing more than a lounge chair and a
small television within the room she was in. At one end of the room
were a pair of curtains, behind which were glass sliding doors which
lead out onto a balcony.
Lysithea was standing by the curtains, peering between them.
Usagi huffed, crossing her arms.
"Thankyou, Mister Gentleman, for helping me to my feet."
"You're welcome." Lysithea said without turning. Usagi's
cheeks puffed up with annoyance.
"Where are we?"
"An apartment in the Hakudusyo Towers which overlooks the
Sacred House HQ compound. It's one of the watch houses the Coven
has used over the years."
"Is that what you're looking at?" Usagi got to her feet.
"What else would I be looking at?" Lysithea turned. "Come
here, have a look."
Usagi sighed and stepped over to the crack in the curtain.
Lysithea pointed between them. "That's it. You can't miss it for
the world, considering its size."
Usagi peered out. On the other side of the road that ran past
the apartment building was a large, high-walled compound, within
which were a collection of buildings, mostly interconnected. There
were office towers and an odd assortment of architectural oddities.
She turned back to him. "I've been past this place before.
probably a dozen or so times. Never really thought about what was
within. Always thought it was some manufacturing firm or research
centre." She thought for a moment. "Wouldn't I, with my powers,
have been able to detect the nature of this place?"
"Don't see why you should break the habit of a lifetime and
miss the blatantly obvious." Lysithea chuckled as Usagi huffed.
"Alright, so we Sailorsenshi aren't perfect. I bet you didn't
spot the Black Moon Circus tent, either."
"Ah, the Black Moon Circus.... Have I told you, yet, about
the time I met Tiger Eye at a dance club?"
"I don't want to know." She snorted.
"But it was really funny...."
"I said I don't want to know." Sighing, she thumbed in the
direction of the compound. "So, what is it about this place that
stops you walking in by yourself, except for the mountains of
security the place is likely to have, and how in hell am I supposed
to help you?"
Lysithea stepped away from the curtain. "It's very simple.
They have a barrier around the compound, detectable only by those
who are halflings like me. This barrier is generated by a device
that emulates the biorhythms of my kind."
"A kind of spirit energy machine?"
"Kind of.... This device not only detects those with halfling
energies, it can also attack those who are not permitted to enter
its field."
Usagi began to pace around. "So, what you're saying is that,
this device is an artificial ghost.... A poltergeist...."
"Well, that would be simplifying it, but yes, you can call it
an artificial ghost."
"So where do I come in?"
"You aren't one of us. You're a fullblood human. Or, if you
aren't, your energies are being suppressed or masked. This was why
neither the Coven nor the House could detect your presence."
"And being a fullblood human means my energy pattern is
different?"
"Indeed."
"Which means this defence system won't recognise me as a
threat? Clever. That means any old person who isn't one of your
kind could walk in...."
"What do you think the conventional security devices are for?
And anyway, with the kinds of freaks they have in there, you
wouldn't last long, anyway."
Usagi facefaulted. "So how am I going to get you in?"
"I do believe you have something called 'Sailor Teleport'....
Something you've used, now and again."
"Ah, that.... I've.... Only used it once or twice, on my
own, that is. The rest of the time, I was aided by the others."
She paused for a moment. "I'm not really confident about using it."
"But, as you have said, you have used it, solo, on occasion."
"I didn't really think about it at the time. And anyways,
my... other personality had taken over at those stages...."
"Other personality?" Lysithea frowned, then ohhhed when he
picked up what she was saying. "You mean Serenity."
"Yeah, her."
"You mean you, of course?"
"Yeah, me." Usagi scratched her head. "I have times when I
wonder about the division between me and me."
"Between one personality and the other? I don't think you
should concern yourself about that. From my studies of you, I'd say
there really is no division."
"Yeah, but it's a pain, you know? Not knowing what to say or
think in case I have a violent disagreement with myself...." Usagi
paused. "Now I'm just being silly." She looked embarassed.
Lysithea shrugged. "Well, we'll just have to risk it. After
all, it is a case of life or death for you friend, Minako."
Usagi nodded. "For Mina-chan.... I shall go through hell."
Yes, thought Lysithea. You probably will.
----o
Minako dreamed of a store.
It was a small store, set in an arcade, opposite a snack bar,
and lined by a hair salon on one side and a bookshop on the other.
It was also empty.
There were nothing but boxes, full of miscellaneous items,
sitting in piles within the shop, gathering dust and hidden from the
public gaze by white lace curtains that hung over the large
shopfront windows. Those curtain allowed a splendid view of what
was going on outside, but the darkness within made them an
impenetrable veil to the casual viewer.
Minako dreamed she was sitting within that store, behind a
small box, up against the rear wall near the counter where the cash
register used to be. She was eight years old, and frightened.
This store used to belong to her father. In fact, it still
did, but his business, which had been founded here, had grown beyond
the floorspace this store could provide.
He had kept the shop as a storage space until he found a
reasonable offer for it. But he never did, and the store slowly
became a dust trap, ignored for years. Until the day young Aino
Minako came visiting.
She had been in trouble at school. Coming to the aid of a
quiet girl who was being victimised by a group of bullies. The only
thing the teacher who caught them had seen was Minako throttling one
of the larger boys, his friends cowering with bloody noses.
Her parents chewed her out for that, and sent her to her
bedroom as punishment. In a fit of pique, she decided to run away,
throwing what few posessions she had the time in a small bag, she
clambered out of her window (not easy to do from the first storey)
and took off for destinations unknown.
And they really were destinations unknown, because eight year
old Minako had absolutely NO idea where one could go to run away.
So she decided to hide out in the old store, having been given a key
to the place by her father when she first went to school. She would
often walk to the shop rather than straight home as it was safer to
go the rest of the way home with her father after work.
And she was in that store for three days, surviving on
chocolate bars, potato chips and orange juice, watching people walk
by, and wondering if running away was such a good idea, after all.
The shop was awfully cold at night. And the only person who
would walk by was the arcade's security guard.... A scary, burly,
unshaven man in his fourties.
She was glad when she finally decided to pack it in and go
home. So were her parents and the police. It was one less child
they had to worry about, turning up mutilated in a pile of garbage
bags....
Strange, Minako thought, I feel quite warm at the moment.
Surely the dream wasn't trawling up that sentimental a memory?
She opened her eyes, and saw a soft yellow light, cast through
a window that was set high above her. Very high.
She sat up and stared blearily around. The room, apart from
that light, was pitch black. In fact, it was the walls to the room,
itself, that were black.
The walls rose so high, she had to strain to see the ceiling.
At least it wasn't cold in here. She hated the cold, ever since....
Ever since she hid in that shop.... So many years ago.
She listened, carefully. She could hear the sound of air
conditioning. So soft, she shouldn't have been able to hear it, and
yet it was as clear as a bell to her.
It was then that she realised she had absolutely no idea where
she was. She threw off the large, thick blanket that had been
covering her and jumped off the single bed, dancing around for a few
moments as the floor was rather colder than she expected.
She looked down at what she was wearing. It looked like a
hospital gown to her. Now what had happened? Maybe she'd hurt
herself and was in hospital....
But this certainly didn't look like a hospital room, and she
certainly wasn't injured. The only discomfort she could feel was a
slightly numb sensation in her left arm. She inspected it, but the
light wasn't bright enough for her to be able to see if there was
anything wrong.
She stepped up to the wall and started to feel her way along.
She went all the way around, and couldn't feel anything that was
vaguely like a door. She began to panic, scratching at the wall for
some vague crack which could be opened. All this achieved were sore
fingers and cracked nails. One was even bleeding. She sucked on it
as she walked back to the bed and sat down.
"Ah, I see you are awake. Very good, very good." Minako
turned as the figure of a tall caucasian man with white hair and
white goatie beard, dressed in a dark suit and cape, stepped through
the wall.
"G.... GHOST!" Minako threw the blanket over her head as the
man closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. Just a little precautionary
security device."
Minako peered from underneath the blanket. "Security? From
what?" She thought for a few moments. "Not from me, surely?"
"Well, you could say that, in your current state, we aren't
taking any precautions."
"In my current state....? I'll have you know I'm as fit as a
creek without a paddle.... I mean.... Whatever. Who are you? And
where am I?"
"Ah, before I introduce myself, perhaps you would be so kind
as to tell me your name?"
Minako threw the blanket aside and stood from the bed. "Aino.
Aino Minako. And you?"
"My name is Joachim Schneider. I am a member of a group,
known as the Sacred House. We discovered you earlier today,
assaulting a group of your friends at a coffee shop."
"Oh Kami, this is a funny farm, right? I'm nuts, aren't I?"
Joachim blinked a couple of times in surprise, then chuckled,
shaking his head. "Whatever makes you think that?"
"I haven't been myself lately. I've been doing strange
things.... Thinking strange thoughts...."
Joachim nodded. "All very likely, considering the condition
you have."
"I knew it. I have a condition. I'm a psycho. I'll be
locked away in padded cells for the rest of my life, taking strange
drugs and being made to undergo bizarre treatments involving vast
quantities of electricity...." Minako began to pace around, pulling
at her hair.
"Now now, settle down. Nobody said you were mad."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. You are
probably going to give me the spiel about how this is not an
illness, and how it can be controlled and all that warm fuzzy crap."
She began to sob. Joachim put a hand to his face, sighing.
"Lord protect me from idiots." He put his hand down and
stepped forward. "Listen, you do NOT have a psychological
condition. All psychological effects you have experienced, and will
continue to experience are a product of a condition of an entirely
different form."
Minako turned to him. "Well, that makes it alright then."
She sniffed. "That doesn't explain what I'm doing here, or where
here is...."
"Well, this is our sanctuary. We study those who have
recently undergone this condition, and attempt to bring it under
control so they can be released back into society."
"Just what is this condition, anyway? Is it some kind of
genetic disorder?"
Joachim chuckled. "You could say that, in a way. It is most
certainly inherited. In which case, it might be a good idea if you
can give us the names of your parents and their address, just in
case."
"Umm... Okay. If you have a piece of paper so I can write it
down and all...."
Joachim raised an eyebrow. This one was going to be easier to
deal with than they had initially thought.
----o
There was nothing there.
She had dived into the waters, only to find her quarry had
vanished. Not just sank into the mud, but vanished altogether.
She was not pleased. But there were others she could take in
the vicinity.
She growled, hungrily.
----o
They had managed to avoid almost every obstacle in their way,
but eventually, they were going to HAVE to hit something, head on.
The young woman who had only just returned to Earth watched
from the top of yet another building as the three figures slammed
into the side of the old records office building at close to thirty
miles an hour, and fell fifteen feet to the ground, behind some
bushes.
Well, she thought, time to get to work. Help the local
wildlife on your way to setting an idiot sister to rights.
Mhaere Meehan snapped her fingers and vanished from sight.
END OF PART 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DDFA ayanami@internode.on.net
23rd Apr 1998